Signaling-horn.



A A. KENT.

SIGNALING HORN.

APPLICATION mgn MAR. 5. 1913.

-: mg I Patented Sept. 7, 1915. v

2 SHEETS-SHEET la WITNESSES t m ATTORNEY an'rnun. n'rwn'rnn xnN'r, orPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

SIGNALING-HOBN.

Speciflcation of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 7, 1915.

Application filed March 5, 1918. Serial No. 752,111.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR ATWATER KENT, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city of Philadelphia, in

the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, haveinventedcertain -new-- and useful Improvements in Signaling- Horns, of which thefollowing is a full,

clear, and complete disclosure.

My invention relates to signaling horns, such as are commonly used onautomobiles, and motor boats and for similar purposes, and moreparticularly to those. horns in which a diaphragm is vibrated either byan electro-magnet or electro-vibrator, or by mechanical mechanism as bya ratchet or similar device actuated by a small electric motor.

My invention relates to structural features of such a horn and to therelation, disposition, and assembling of the parts.

Among the objects of my invention are to provide a simple relativelyinexpensive device; to hold or secure the diaphragm so as to secure aloud distinctive tone; to dispense with a large number of parts; tosecurely hold the diaphragm in position and to produce a horn which willproduce a loud penetrating sound, of distinctive quality.

Other objects of my invention will appear in the specification andclaims below.

Referring now to the drawings, forming a part of this specification andwhich the same parts are referred to by the same reference charactersthroughout the various views; Figure l is a longitudinal sectional viewof my improved horn; Fig. 2 is an end view of the casing in which theoperating mechanism is adapted to be inclosed and mounted; Figs. 3 to 8,inclusive, are longitudinal sectional views of a portion of the flangeof the casing, diaphragm and easing showing different modifications ofthe way in which the diaphragm may be secured to the said flange andheld in position by the cap upon which the horn proper is mounted; Fig.9 is an enlarged view of a portion of Fig. 1, showing the smaller flangefor supporting the diaphragm; and Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic view on anexaggerated scale illustrating how the diaphragm vibrates.

v The preferred construction is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 in which acylindrical casing 1 is provided at one end with an outwardly flaringportion 2 terminating at the end in an annular flange 3 having acylindrical periphery 4 anda flat front face 5 arranged in a planenormal to the axis of the said flange which flat face forms the seat ofthe diaphragm 6. The said casing is provided with-a web. 7 adjacent theflaring portion 2 of the casing, said web being preferably cast integralwith the casing 1 and forming a support for the electro-magnets 8,within the casing. The interior of the casing is preferably providedwith a lug 9 upon which is supported a resilient arm 10 carrying anarmature 11- of the vibrator for producing vibrations of the diaphragm.A second lug 12, also within the casing and preferably arranged oppositethe lug 9, serves to support the contact arm 13 which terminates in thecontact point 14:, the arm 13 being insulated from said lug by asuitable insulating material 15. The resilient arm 10 is also providedwith a contact point 16, and the said arm 10 is grounded to the casing1.

One terminal 17 of the coils 8 is electrically connected to a bindingpost 18, insulated by the sleeve of insulating material 19 from thecasing 1 and the other terminal 20 of the coil 8 is electricallyconnected to the contact arm 13. A second binding post 21 electricallyconnected to the casing '1 is also provided. On the back of the casing 1a cup-shaped closure 22 may be secured in any approved manner.

The armature 11 is preferably heavy so that in vibrating under theinfluence of the magnetism of thecoils 8, it strikes a heavy blow on ananvil rod 23 arranged with one end in the path of movement of thearmature 11 and with its outer end threaded into a bushing 24 riveted orotherwise rigidly secured to the centerof the diaphragm 6. The bushing24 is preferably a split or expanding bushing to snugly press againstthe threaded portion of the anvil rod 23, and to hold it insuchzposition as to which it may be adjusted by a screw driver placed inthe slot 25 in the outer and forward end thereof. Asplainly shown inFigs. 1 and 2 the web 7 is provided with an opening 26 through which therod 23 freely extends.

The diaphragm 6 is preferably a circular 4 and of a diametersubstantially equal to that of a circle located midway between theinnerand outer edges of the flat face or seat 5, so

- only, situated substantially midway of the portion of the diaphragmwhich rests upon the said seat 5. The cap 27 preferably swells outwardlyand forwardly inside of the rib 28 to allow a sufiicient space 29 topermit the diaphragm to vibrate and is provided centrally with anopening 30. The edges of the cap around the opening 30 are preferablybent outwardly, and a horn or projector 31 secured thereto by pressingsaid edges up and around the inner edges of the horn as shown in Fig. 1,and also in Fig. 9.

In assembling the cap, diaphragm and casing, the diaphragm may be seatedon the flat face 5 or placed inside the cap against the rib 28, and thenthe cylindrical flange 32 of the cap is slipped or forced over the cylindrical periphery 4 of the flange 3. The partsassembled in this mannerare placed in a press and a high pressure is applied to that portion 33of the cap 27' outside of the rib, thus pressing the rib very firmlyagainst the front face of the diaphragm 6. This pressure is suflicientto slightly flex toward the diaphragm that portion 33 of the cap outsideof the rib 28, and while the parts are so held in said press the outerend 34; of the cylindrical flange 32 of the cap 27 is pressed by asuitable die inwardly over and around the rear edge 35 of the flange 4.After this has been done the pressure is removed and the resiliency ofthe portion 33 of the stiff cap acts to very tightly clamp and hold thediaphragm between the rib 28 and the face or seat 5 of the flange 3.That portion ofthe cap including the rib 28, the portion 33, thecylindrical flange 32, and inturned end 34 acts as an annular stifl'resilient clamp' to rigidly hold the diaphragm in position. 7 I

In Figs. 3 and 4 is shown a modified structure in which a ring orannulus 28 of stiff resilient metal, arc'shaped in cross-section andwith the convex face resting against the front face of the diaphragm maybe used. In this construction the outer portion 33' of the cap 27' maybe plain, the said ring or annulus 28', taking the place and performingthe same functions as the rib 28 of the cap 27.

In Fig. 3 the parts are shown as assembled prior to the application ofpressure thereto, and in Fig. 4 the pressure has been applied, tendingto straighten out the curvature of the ring 28' and to bend the edge 34of the flange 32 over the rear edge 35 of the flange 3.

Figs. 5 and 6 show a construction similar construction it is preferred,however, to'

make the radial width of the annulus 36 substantially one-half the widthof the seat 5 for the diaphragm and the largest diameter of the annulussubstantially equal to the Y diameter of the diaphragm in order that thediaphragm may be clamped along a line substantially midwaybetween"theinner and outer edges of the seat or face 5.

In Figs. 7 and 8 the outer margin 37 of the diaphragm 6' is shown asbeing struck up and slightly bent out of the plane of the main bodyportion of the diaphragm. The width of this marginal portion 37 measuredradially of the diaphragm is preferably onehalf of the width of the face5 of the flange 3 of the casing.

In Fig. 7 the parts are assembled ready to be pressed together in finalform. In Fig. 8 is shown the relation of the parts after pressure hasbeen applied and the parts have been finally secured together. Thepressure may be so great as to substantially straighten the marginalportion 37 into the plane of the main or body portion of the diaphragm6. a p

In Fig. 10 is illustrated the manner in which the diaphragm mounted inany of the ways above indicated may vibrate. It will be seen that agreater portion of the diaphragm is free to vibrate outwardly or awayfrom the seat than is free to vibrate inwardly. This manner of mountingdiaphragm appears to affect both the volume and quality of the soundproduced, for a very loud far-carrying sound is produced when the aboveconstruction is embodied in the horn, and the quality of the tone isslightly different and distinctive from that produced in other horns,constructed similar in other respects.

The edge of said opening 30 of the cap 27 is provided with a shortoutwardly extending flange 39, as is clearly shown in Fig. 9.

The outer diameter of this flange 39 is substantially the same as theinner diameter of the opening in the smaller end of the horn orprojector 31, and the said horn is secured to said cap by fitting theopening in the end of the horn over and around the said flange and thensubjecting the parts so assembled to a suitable press or die whereby thesaid flange 39 is bent radially outwardly and then toward the face ofthe said cap 27. The parts are sounited under a relatively high pressureso that when this operation is completed the edge of the materialforming the inner end of the horn is securely clamped and held betweenthe face of the cap 27 and the expanded and flattened end of the flange39. For this purpose the horn is prefershown in Fig. 1; that is to say,the material 41 forming the smaller end of the horn is rounded or bentoutwardly to lie in a plane substantially normal to thelongitudinal axisof the horn.

It will be seen that the signaling horn, having the parts arranged inthe manner above described, is compartiyely simple in construction andthe parts can be readily assembled and secured together in a substantialmanner at a comparatively small expense. The diaphragm is'securely heldto the seat by the resilient clamping portion of the cap and the capforms a support for the amplifier. The casing may be made of.

a single casting within which substantially all the operative parts arereadily housed.

It is to be understood that slight changes may be made in theconstruction of the horn above described without departing from thespirit and scope of my invention. Thus the casing l or the web 7 towhich the magnets are secured may be considered as the base or supportupon which is the flange 2, inasmuch as that part of the casing whichincloses the mechanism may be omitted in certain types of horns. But,however considered, a flange 2 is provided upon some suitable baseoperatively connected to some part of the structure.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to protect byLetters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a signaling born the combination of a casing provided at one endwith acylindrical flange substantially the entire front face of whichforms a flat annular seat, a diaphragm having the marginal portion ofone of its faces lying flat on said seat, annular resilient meansengaging the other face of said diaphragm along substantially a circularline only, and fitting over the periphery of said flange and engagingthe back of said flange, and means inclosed within said casing tovibrate said diaphragm.

2. In a signaling horn the combination of a casing provided at one endwith a cylindrical flange forming a flat annular seat, a diaphragmhaving the marginal annular portion of its rear face in flat engagementwith said seat, annular resilient means engaging the front face of saiddiaphragm and fitting over the periphery of said flange and bent overthe rear edge of said flange, and means within said casing to vibratesaiddia- .phragm.

circular line only, and fitting. over the periphery of said flange andsecured to the of a casing providing a flat annular seat,

a diaphragm having the marginal portion of one of its faces inengagement with said seat, resilient clamping means passing over theperiphery of said diaphragm and engaging the other face of saiddiaphragm along a circularline-substantiallyonly, the

diameter of said line being greater than the diameter of the innercircular edge of said seat, said means also engaging the rear side ofsaid flange,aprojector supported by said clamping means, and meanswithin said casing to vibrate said diaphragm.

5. In a signaling horn the combination of a casing provided with anannular projection and having a flat annular seat, 21 diaphragm havingthe marginal portion of one of its faces in engagement with said seat,and annular resilient clamping means to hold said diaphragm on saidseat, said means engaging said annular projection of said casing and theface of said diaphragm opposite said seat, and the rear side of saidflange, said means being in engagement with said face of said diaphragmalong a circular line substantially only, the diameter of which isgreater than the diameter of the inner circular edge of said seat, andmeans Within said casing to vibrate said diaphragm.

6.. In a signaling horn the combination of a casing having at one end acircular flange the front face of which forms an annular seat, adiaphragm having the annular marginal portion of one of its faces inengagement w1th said seat, a sheet metal cap having an integral circularvrib projecting "toward and engaging the other face of said flange ofsaid seat, the outer edge of said flange of said cap being bent inwardlyagainst the back of said flange of said casing to hold said rib undertension firmly against said diaphragm and said diaphragm on said seat,and means within said casing to vibrate said diaphragm.

7. In a signaling horn the combination of a casing having a flange atone end thereof, a diaphragm, a projector, and a cap to secure saiddiaphragm to said casing to support said projector, said cap having anannular resilient clamping portion engaging the front facev of saiddiaphragm along a circular line substantially only, and engagperipherythereof and over the periphery of said diaphragm and engaging the. otherface of said diaphragm along substantially a circular line only,- thatportion of said clamping means overhanging said diaphragm and outside ofsaid circular line being out of engagement with said dia phragm,resilient, and under tension tending to hold said diaphragm firmlypressed flat against said seat.

9. In a signaling horn the combination of a casing terminating ina'cylindrical flange at one end providing an annular seat, a diaphragmhaving the annular marginal portion of said reanface in engagement withsaid seat, a projector, and a sheet metal annular cap having arearwardly extending cylindrical flan on its outer edge and a smallercylindrlcal flange, extending forwardly from its inner edge in theopposite direction, said cap having an integral sharp edged rib engagingthe front face of said diaphragm along a'circular line only, thediameter of which is greater than the diameter of the inner edge of saidseat, the outer edge of said larger flange of said cap being bent overtherear edge of the flange on said casing to hold said rib against saiddiaphragm, and said smaller cylindrical flange of said cap being bentaround and clamping the end ofsaid projector to support said projectoron said cap.

10. In a signaling horn, the combination of a casing provided at one'endwith a cylindrical flange forming a flat annular seat on the facethereof, a diaphragm having a marginal annular portion on its rear facein flat engagement with said seat, and annular clamping meanssurrounding the outer cylindrical surface of said flange and ,havinginwardly extending portions one of which is resilient, and clampingbetween them said flange and said diaphragm, said clamping meansengaging said diaphragm along substantially a circular line only whichis substantially midway of the annular portion of said diaphragm whichis in engagement with said seat.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-eighth dayof February, 1913. I a

I ARTHUR ATWATER KENT.

Witnesses:

W. W. NnvrUs, E. A. WALTER.

